Breaking Boundaries: Helaina’s Path to Revolutionize Nutrition with Laura Katz

In today's episode, we speak to the brilliant mind behind Helaina, an innovative ingredients platform that aims to revolutionize the very core of our food industry, starting with an unexpected yet crucial focus: breast milk. Laura's unwavering commitment to transforming the way we approach ingredients has not only caught our attention but also garnered widespread acclaim. She envisions a world where the quality and safety of ingredients are at the forefront of every product, addressing also the pressing issue of malnutrition, particularly in children, in developing countries. In this insightful conversation, we delve into Laura's journey as an entrepreneur, her motivations, and the challenges she has faced while spearheading this ambitious initiative. We explore the profound impact Helaina can have on the lives of those most in need, and how Laura's vision extends beyond breast milk to revolutionize the very fabric of protein-based, healthy ingredients.

About Laura Katz, Founder & CEO

Laura Katz, a food scientist, is the Founder and CEO of Helaina, a New York City-based biotech company pushing the boundaries of what food can do for health. With its immune-nourishing glycoproteins, Helaina is the first company to bring the immunity properties of breast milk proteins to food for all stages of life -- bridging the gap between food and health. 

Disrupting the stagnant infant formula category, and meeting booming consumer demand for food with immunity power, Helaina has raised more than $25 million from leading investors. Helaina’s new category of infant formula will support parents who, in the U.S., often have insufficient parental leave policies. 

Laura became NYU’s youngest-ever adjunct professor in Food Science & Technology in 2017 and was featured in Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2022. She has presented at Collision, Food Hack, Fortune Most Powerful Women NextGen, Future Food Tech, Harvard Business School and Web Summit.

Prior to Helaina, Laura developed food products for NUGGS, Plated, and Dylan’s Candy Bar. Laura has reached viral success as a food scientist, generating $60M+ views via an 11-episode stint as the expert food scientist for Epicurious’ 4-Levels video series. She earned a Master’s in Food Studies from NYU and a Bachelor of Sciences in Food Science and Technology from Western University. In her free time, she can be found hanging out with her husband, son Leo, and their Italian Water Dog, Fontina Prosciutto, and writing recipes in hopes of one day publishing a cookbook.

About Helaina

Founded in 2019, Helaina is a biotech company pushing the boundaries of what food can do for health. With its immune-nourishing glycoproteins, Helaina is the first company to bring the immunity properties of breast milk proteins to food for all stages of life – bridging the gap between food and health.  A new category of infant formula will empower and equip parents with the freedom of choice, better access, and crucial immunity support for feeding their babies. As a high-value ingredient in functional foods, from nutritional bars to supplements, Helaina’s glycoproteins will provide immune benefits for all ages. Based in New York City, Helaina has raised more than $25 million from leading investors.